How Marketplaces Use Cross-Side Subsidies to Solve the Cold Start

In Episode 60 of Marketplace Businesses with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dissect cross-side subsidies: the strategic tactic where marketplaces pay one side to attract the other. They anchor on Uber Eats' early decision to subsidize delivery fees and DoorDash's Dasher minimum guarantees, explaining how these temporary cash burns create lasting liquidity. They contrast this with Airbnb's high-end host subsidies and examine why subsidies must be phased out — using Groupon's implosion as a warning. The show also touches on modern platforms like Thumbtack that use AI to target subsidies precisely. Perfect for founders, product managers, and anyone building two-sided networks. #MarketplaceBusinesses #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #CrossSideSubsidies #ColdStart #Liquidity #UberEats #DoorDash #Airbnb #Groupon #Thumbtack #TwoSidedMarkets #NetworkEffects #BusinessStrategy #StartupGrowth #MarketplaceDesign #PlatformEconomics #SubsidyStrategy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo